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James Brown’s Last Apollo Appearance Draws Thousands
by Ife Oshun ·
A long time friend and colleague of James Brown said the icon loved the lines at the Apollo.
“His greatest thrill was always the lines around the Apollo Theater,” said Al Sharpton. “I felt that James Brown in all the years we talked would have wanted one last opportunity to let the people say goodbye to him and he to the people.”
Yesterday that one last line snaked over three city blocks through Harlem as thousands waited to catch one last glimpse of the man who forever changed popular music. Many started lining up at midnight for a viewing scheduled to begin 1:00 p.m. A number of folks eventually did not get in.
Dressed in a “midnight-blue suit, complete with white gloves and silver shoes,” the Godfather Of Soul was a showman even in death.
Besides changing the direction of rock and soul, Brown was the architect of rap, hip-hop, funk, disco and modern R&B. Sharpton, who’d known Mr. Brown since the 70s, said the music god had spoken to him on the phone recently about today’s music.
“Reverend, I want ya’ll to talk about love,” Brown said. “A lot of these kids who have come behind me and have used my music are teaching destruction and saying things that I would never say.”
Brown has left a gargantuan legacy that will inspire and influence generations to come. What will we leave with our lyrics, music, images and words?
Photo: The Age.comÂ
This has been a doozy of a year for R&B, soul and rap/hip-hop celebrity deaths. The sheer caliber of talent on this list, compiled December 1, was already awesome as it features seminal names such as Billy Preston, Ruth Brown and Lou Rawls. 
Brian McKnight’s latest single, 
